Agusta case: Court sends accused Rajiv Saxena to 4-day ED custody
NEWDELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday sent two accused extradited from the United Arab Emirates the previous day to police remand for further interrogation in two separate cases.
The Enforcement Directorate arrested Rajiv Saxena, accused in the ₹3,600crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, and Deepak Talwar, accused of concealing income of more than ₹90.72 crore and facilitating civil aviation contracts. They were extradited from Dubai on the intervening night of 30th and 31st January.
In two separate courtrooms, Saxena was sent to four days in police custody and Deepak Talwar for seven days.
ED told the court that Saxena, in connivance with Gautam Khaitan, a co-accused in AgustaWestland case, “provided corporate structure for money laundering”. This money, ED said, was paid to politicians, bureaucrats and air force officials who “influenced” the contract for supply of VVIP helicopters in favour of AgustaWestland.
Opposing the remand, Saxena’s lawyers, Shivani Luthra Lohia and Geeta Luthra argued that no extradition proceedings were started in UAE. “This is not an extradition, it’s an abduction,” said Lohia. “There is a background and manner in which he [Saxena] has been brought here. Unless the ED gives a reply, it seems illegal...the remand is also illegal,” said Luthra. They moved an application for release on medical ground,but he court declined.
In the Talwar case, ED alleged that he acted as a middleman in negotiations to favour foreign private airlines that caused losses to national carrier, Air India. The agency told the court it needs to interrogate Talwar to find out the names of government and airline officials involved in the case . The submission was opposed by lawyer Tanveer Ahmad Mir, who said ED has no case and no other steps were taken by agency to unearth the alleged conspiracy.